Psalm 57 begins with a beautiful prayer of David in a time of his immediate distress. Even though he was without guilt, David was fleeing for his life from Saul, the first King of Israel. David declares, “in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge.” David’s physical refuge was in a cave with his loyal men, hiding from Saul’s murderous rage fueled by jealousy and paranoia. Saul’s pursuit of David was littered with the dead of his madness. From the ‘destroying storm’ of Saul’s wrath David prays for protection in the shadow of God’s wings.

We, likewise, may be confronted with harm by a threatening storm. We may feel that way now in this time of political pressure to conform to one position or another, hearing threats of loss to our freedom, even our livelihood, if we do not capitulate. We may feel we are holding out in our own metaphorical cave of isolation, seeking ways to return vengeance for harm done to us. Psalm 57 speaks appropriately to us today.
Look carefully at the prayer; David asked for deliverance from ‘storms,’ not a storm. We might ask, ‘what other threat did David face that lurked unknowingly with him in that cave?’ Reading the story from 1st Samuel, chapter 24, we easily perceive how God provided David rescue from the ‘destroying storm’ of Saul’s rage by placing Saul right before David in the very cave in which they hid, and in the most awkwardly vulnerable position (1st Samual 24:3). His men rejoiced and encouraged David to act on God’s given opportunity and kill Saul.

However, the wisdom God gives David becomes clear as he rejects the pleas of his men to end their terror. David instead shows forbearance and spares Saul’s life.

In this, we see David’s second and unseen ‘storm of destruction,’ which God now gives us the capacity to see clearly. With all their attention on the obvious threat and the chance to take immediate action and be free, David becomes aware that taking up the murderous ways of Saul are just as perilous to him and his men. David remembers he belongs to God, and not to his own fear. If he had killed Saul, he and his men would have walked out identified as ‘king-killers’ in the eyes of many. Escaping this less obvious but equally destructive storm, David turns over to God the vengeance he holds and spares Saul’s life. Because of this, David and his men live to see how God, “fulfills his purpose” with them in his own time.

The same is true for us today as we ride out the storm of political pressures and threats. We need to pray not only for God to deliver us from the obvious enemies, but also from the enemy within us, able to destroy with equal measure the future plan God has for us. Jesus’ words reach out to us in this passage—do not take vengeance but leave it to God. Pray for your enemies, but also remember to pray for the enemy within. Discover how forbearance will allow us see God’s purpose for us by turning our own tightly held desire to act in like-kind over to God and his wisdom.